Rivalry
by madskittles17
Summary: (PMD: Explorers of Sky based). Post-game universe in which a new recruit falls for the male hero, but can she compete with his female counterpart?
**Call me late to the party, but I just discovered the magic that is Explorers of the Sky. Anyways, this idea popped into my head once I finished it and I literally wrote it all last night. Hope you all like it!**

* * *

"My, my, Leo looks as fine as ever today, doesn't he," Liepard purred out loud to no one in particular, as she stared longingly across the lower level of the guild hall to where a blue and black electric lion stood, talking to Chatot.

Her friends lounging beside her giggled.

"Are you still not over that elementary-level crush yet?" Persian asked, cynically, while Pyroar was trying to stifle her laughter and ultimately failing.

Unable to come up with a witty response, Liepard settled for taking the defensive by hissing and leaping for her friends with her claws outstretched, which the two both nimbly dodged. Just as Liepard was about to stick the landing on all fours as cats do, however, Diglett went racing by, leaving the ground upon which she was about to land rough and uneven. Her paw sank into the overturned dirt, but was unable to find solid footing, causing Liepard to go tumbling across the floor before landing in an ungraceful heap.

As she stood, she could hear her friends trying to contain their giggles and could feel the eyes of the guild upon her. She hopefully managed to maintain some semblance of pride as she limped back over to where she had been sitting earlier, mussing Pyroar's mane with her curved tail as she walked by.

"He's looking over here," Persian murmured casually while sharpening her claws.

Liepard's head snapped in Leo's direction and, true to word, the two made eye contact for a brief second before the leopard turned away and tried to swallow the feeling of wanting to burrow underground out of embarrassment.

As Persian and Pyroar conversed about visiting the beach later, Liepard tried to reflect on whether on Persian's words from earlier.

She had first seen Leo as a Shinx when she was still a mere Purrloin. After word had gotten out that it had been Wigglytuff's Guild that had saved the planet from complete paralysis, ambitious young Pokemon had flocked to Treasure Town in hoards, all in hopes of achieving some semblance of fame.

For the first time, the guild had had to turn away apprentices. Thanks to her prowess on the battlefield and cunning mind, however, Liepard had managed to jump through every hoop of the ridiculous application process that they had invented.

Leo had only been back for a few days from saving the world when she had moved into the trainee dorms, where he had resided at the time. It was impossible to ever converse with him, however, as he rarely left his room, and when he did, he constantly walked around with his head down, his eyes seemingly clouded over with sadness, blinding him from the rest of the busy world that had formed around him. Despite her species' lack of tendency to be compassionate or sympathetic, something had called out to Liepard about him – something that set him apart from the rest.

One day though, the apparent, sudden return of someone named Vixen had caused the guild to go into an uproar, something not suited to Liepard's taste, but more importantly, Leo had completely reverted to the normal, cheerful self he was rumoured to be. At the party they had thrown later that night, Purrloin had been leaned against the wall, trying to avoid being dragged into the festivities when Leo had suddenly come and sat down next to her.

Rather than talking about the party, or about his friend (which she was grateful for because it seemed that that was the only thing people could focus on), he apologized.

"I'm sorry I haven't gotten the chance to introduce myself to you sooner," he had said apologetically, his golden eyes sparkling in a way she had never seen before.

"That's alright," she stuttered, taken aback by the light she swore she had seen emanating from his entire being.

"Welcome to the guild! You're going to love it here," he said with a smile, showing off his sharp baby teeth. "I hope we can be friends!"

Before she could open her mouth to respond, Chatot had flown over, squawking for Leo to re-join the group and forcefully pulling him away before anyone could protest.

"I hope so too," she had murmured, but the sound was drown out by the noise of the party.

They had never exchanged more words in one sitting than on that occasion, but Liepard knew she felt something whenever she saw him – something that could have the opportunity to bloom if it weren't for…

"That slinky fox," she hissed under her breath, as the character in question descended the ladder.

Her friends had glanced up at the spiteful tone in her voice before following the direction of her gaze to the golden creature that gracefully crossed the floor to where Leo and Chatot were standing.

They watched as she bowed respectfully to the Music Note Pokemon, who cawed his approval with a wide smile, before beginning to converse as if they were all the best of friends. Meanwhile, the only form of communication Liepard received from her elder were orders yelled into her ear and wings being flapped in her face when she had done something wrong. _Ugh_ , the thought made the fur on her back stand up on end.

Her friends, noting her response to this interaction, hummed sympathetically.

"No offense, but you can't compete with that," Persian said jokingly, in an attempt to lighten the mood.

 _She knew that, and she hated it. Those two were always together._

"I heard that those two live together, but only Chatot knows where it is," Pyroar said.

"I heard that they've cleared dungeons no other explorer has stepped foot in before," Persian added.

"I heard that they faced and beat Dialga as stage ones."

As Persian opened her mouth to add another sentence that would probably begin with 'I heard…', Liepard interrupted.

"Well, I heard that _Vixen_ ," she spat out the name, "used to be a human."

At her friends' resounding silence, she gave them a questioning look. "What?"

Pyroar and Persian shifted uncomfortably, exchanging glances.

"Look, I didn't believe it at first either but…" Persian started.

"But the Guildmaster doesn't seem like the type to lie about that kind of thing…or anything for that matter," Pyroar finished.

Liepard scoffed in disbelief, "really? I thought you guys were my friends!"

"We _are_ your friends, you're just not listening," Persian emphasized.

"Look, we get how difficult this must be for you," Pyroar said empathetically, "but those two are the most powerful Pokemon in this guild, aside from Chatot and Wigglytuff, but even then…". The uneasy shifting resumed.

Liepard sighed, she had heard the rumours too; the rumours that in order to graduate, Vixen and Leo had been required to fight not only the Guildmaster and his second-in-command, but also everyone else.

"I know, I know," Liepard said dejectedly before releasing a deep breath and looking up again with a determined smile, "but I'm not giving up!"

Her friends smiled gently in return before getting up to see what Chatot wanted them to do today. She scanned the room for the subject of her thoughts before finding him standing in front of the outlaw notice board with his token companion. Sighing once more, she settled for inspecting her injured paw from earlier for injuries and waiting patiently for her friends to return.

"Will it make it?" a familiar, friendly voice asked jokingly.

Looking up, Liepard tried to hide the immediate surprise on her face by replacing it with a similarly friendly expression. "I sure hope so," she replied, setting it down gingerly.

"Does it hurt?" Leo asked as he leaned down to look at it closely, turning his head so he could see it from several angles.

She knew a Luxray's vision was good, but she hoped his hearing wasn't good enough to notice her heart beating faster. "A bit," she breathed.

Standing up straight, Leo began looking around. "I should have something in my bag that could help. It would only be a temporary fix, but hopefully it would last long enough until you were able to get Nurse Chansey to take a look at it."

 _Was it a bad case of bedhead or is it naturally like that?_ Liepard had never been close enough for such a long period of time to notice these fine details about his fur.

"Hmm, I think Vixen has the pack right now."

At the sound of her name, Liepard's thoughts shot back down to reality.

"No, no, it's alright. It doesn't hurt that much, I'll just stay off it for a while and it should be fine," she rushed to say before he called over the last person she wanted to see.

He stared at her seriously for a moment, as if gauging whether or not she was telling the truth, before agreeing, saying his goodbyes, and trotting off to re-join his partner who sat patiently by the ladder.

With his back turned to her, Liepard let her emerald gaze lock with Vixen's red and felt her eyes slightly narrow in distaste. She stood and turned, breaking eye contact, to walk towards her friends who were waiting by the sentry hole, flicking the scythe-like end of her tail haughtily at her undeclared rival who she knew was watching. 

* * *

Vixen recognized how handsome Leo had become in his final stage of evolution, changed from a cheerful, innocent cub to a determined, forward-thinking alpha. She saw how the other guild members, mostly of the female variety, looked at him, hoping that maybe for a second he would neglect his explorer duties to pay some attention to them. And finally, she acknowledged the jealously that emanated from them without restraint whenever the two were seen together. She didn't mind the whispers behind her back about how she was the creature how came out of nowhere and was suddenly proclaimed a hero, but she worried that Leo's unshakeable dedication to his commitments was holding him back from moving onto the next stage of his life.

At this point, she had accepted that she would remain as a Pokemon until the day she died, but she refused for this circumstance to act as a hindrance to others. She had learned how to forage and fend off intruders on her territory; she was prepared to live on her own if that's what Leo wanted, or needed.

"You're being quiet, Vixen. Too quiet. I mean, you usually don't talk but this silence is making me uncomfortable," Leo's voice cut through her thoughts.

"I'm just thinking," she said simply, as she always did.

"Hopefully not too hard," Leo said jokingly. "We have a job to do."

Looking up, Vixen realized that they stood in front of the entrance to a dungeon: the Bottomless Sea, to be exact.

Seeing the look of concern on the fire fox's face, Leo stepped in front of her, blocking the entrance. "I told you before, we don't have to do this mission if you don't want to. We can turn back now."

Steeling herself for the peril to come, Vixen tried not to let the fear show on her face. She had to be brave like Leo. "I want to, let's go," she said defiantly, even a little insulted that he thought she couldn't handle it.

As she tried to step around him, Leo stepped with her to block her path. He looked her directly in the eye so seriously that it was almost intimidating; his voice matched his gaze.

"Promise me you'll be careful."

His concern made her feel more relaxed, as strange as that sounded. She stepped towards him so that they were paw for paw, her small frame engulfed by his broad chest, and tucked her head underneath his chin, snuggling there for a moment, savouring his scent, before stepping back and with a gentle smile, saying, "I promise".

Their explorer badge flashed, signifying that they had made it to a destination floor – the only destination floor, to be exact. As they rested in the open cavern for a moment, Vixen, who was clearly near the end of her rope, pulled out their mission objectives, while quietly mumbling, "why are we here again?"

Without even glancing at the sheet, Leo recited, "Apprehend the criminal Kingdra and retrieve the stolen Scope Lens."

Now that the sheet was useless, Vixen threw it away. "Someone did their homework."

"More like, someone didn't," Leo retorted.

With her guard let down, Vixen took a careless step forward and as she was about to respond, she vanished into thin air. Shocked at her sudden disappearance, Leo looked down and saw as a warp trap revealed itself. Without a map to guide him, Leo began frantically running down the corridor, in search of his partner, who was missing in the most dangerous place possible.

Once Vixen rematerialized, she quickly put together what had happened.

"Not another warp trap…" she muttered, as she reached to pull out the map so she could meet up with Leo as soon as possible.

"Of all the explorers they could choose from, sending a fire type is just hurtful," a voice came from the opposite end of the enclosed space.

Vixen turned to find herself up against Kingdra, the wanted outlaw, and immediately went on the defensive.

"Kingdra, on behalf of the Guild Federation, give back what you stole or I'll be forced to - ".

"Forced to what?" the water dragon interrupted. "Burn me?"

Vixen gritted her teeth – he was right, this was a terrible type matchup for her. If she was smart, she would run and find Leo, letting Kingdra get away, but if she was brave, she would face up to him, secretly hoping Leo would be able to find her soon in this maze. Letting a criminal get away went against everything both she and Leo stood for as Master Rank explorers, but more importantly, she needed to prove to herself she could handle it, just in case… She shook the thought from her head; there was a more important matter at stake.

Vixen took a step forward, but Kingdra remained stationary as his body began to radiate a blue aura. A single drop of water landed between her eyes, which she quickly shook off, before she realized what he had done. After turn one, the battle had begun and so had the downpour.

Ninetales could feel each water droplet landing on her fur as if they were her bones, aching within her body, but she would persevere through it. _She had to_ , she thought, as Kingdra became a blur, his speed now doubled, thanks to his Swift Swim ability.

Leo slowed down for a moment as he noticed the sudden change in weather. The cold drops on his fur and the puddles forming around his feet didn't bother him, but they made his worries grown tenfold. _This had to be a coincidence_ , he thought as he picked up speed, sprinting even faster than before.

Vixen attempted to launch a flamethrower attack, but watched helplessly as it sizzled away in the rain before it even hit its target. _She had to get closer_ , she thought, as her emboldened opponent was able to launch rapid-fire attacks in the time it took her to even attempt one.

The flame in her stomach that acted as her power source felt lukewarm and the feeling of icicles stabbing at her bones began working its way from her paws up her legs. Her instinctual evasion to large puddles was long forgotten as survival was more at-hand and avoiding the dragon Pokemon's powered up water attacks were more important than worrying about where she landed.

 _The only thing she could do was use the water to her advantage_ , she thought, before jumping into the largest puddle with all her might, causing a large tidal wave to erupt, and leaping through it. Kingdra was clearly caught off-guard by seeing her come bursting through the torrent like a cannonball and had no time to dodge the oncoming fireball that she had launched, using the rest of her strength.

Thanks to the type resistance in the rain, he took little damage, however, and was able to quickly release a countering Hydro Pump while she was mid-air, causing the fox to go slamming into the rock wall behind her and falling to the ground in a soggy heap.

Vixen struggled to open her eyes, even though she knew her opponent was approaching. Her body felt like jelly and the thought of being able to move any of her limbs sounded like something out of a dream. When she finally managed to lift her heavy eyelids, she saw Kingdra standing above her menacingly, casting a shadow over her limp body. _I'm so sorry, Leo_ , she thought as her eyes drifted shut.

An ear-splitting roar rang through the room, the soundwaves reverberating so much that the raindrops felt at slanted angles, but there was only one target and it hit. Kingdra was sent flying, just as he was about to deal the finishing blow to the sad excuse for an explorer. The dragon didn't have time to process what had happened after he had been thrown back against the wall as two large black paws pinned him down and the only thing in his line of sight was a set of large, gleaming fangs. A loud growl came from the lion's mouth that barely dissipated when he began to speak in their common language.

"Rot in hell." The sound was so guttural and raw that it was up for debate whether or not it could be classified as speaking, but Kingdra didn't have time to ponder it as Luxray unleashed a discharge bright enough to power all of Treasure Town.

The explorer badge automatically warped Kingdra away to Officer Magnezone's custody, but Leo paid the matter no heed as he immediately turned around and ran to the unconscious Vixen.

"Vixen? Vixen?" Leo asked frantically, while gently nudging her immobile body with his paw. The rain had stopped but Leo didn't notice as he rapidly turned around in circles, hoping a solution would magically appear that would wake up his partner.

"Okay, think Leo, think!" As if a light bulb went off inside his head, Leo remembered. "The explorer badge!"

Using the badge, Leo warped himself and Vixen back to Treasure Town and, with most people being out on missions, was able to carry her back to their home in Sharpedo Bluff with minimal intrusions.

* * *

After moving her bed to a spot that had more sunlight, he placed her in it gently before covering her with straw and dried leaves.

"A fire, I need to build a fire," he muttered to himself, checking on Vixen one last time before galloping out of their home.

When Vixen awoke, the moon shone high in the clear sky. She shivered when a cool breeze blew through their rocky outcropping and looked down at her body to see it covered in a fine layer of straw, which was strewn about the ground thanks to the wind. A small fire lay burning beside her and she curled up close to it, but was unable to shake the constant chill from her body.

On the opposite side of the fire, she saw Leo lay sleeping, but with his head on his paws at an awkward angle so he was facing her, almost as if he had fallen asleep while keeping an eye on her. She smiled lightly as she took her time to stand. When she was confident that her legs would support her at least temporarily, she shook off most of the straw from her body and stepped towards Leo. _Even though she shouldn't._ Another step. _Even though she was helpless._ Another step. _Even though she was useless._ She smiled down at his gentle sleeping face before lying down and curling up against him, matching the curve of his body with her own. _It was because she was selfish._

For the first time in what felt like forever, Vixen finally felt warm and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Leo had explained to Chatot very briefly yesterday that he would return to the guild in the morning to collect their reward and explain the situation but upon waking and finding Vixen nestled against him, he couldn't come up with any excuse good enough to move. So there he lay, enjoying the perfect synchronicity of their breathing and their shared warmth for who knew how long until she opened her eyes.

He watched as she blinked and turned her head, taking in her surroundings, before craning her neck to look back at him.

"Good morning," Vixen greeted him, the drowsiness still evident in her voice.

"Good afternoon," Leo corrected. "…I think."

"Sorry about this, I woke up last night and I was cold so…" she trailed off, but made no indication that she was planning to move anytime soon.

"It's fine!" Leo said cheerfully, trying to act as if her close proximity and scent didn't affect him. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," Vixen said gratefully.

"That's good! Well, I promised Chatot I'd come into the guild today so, uh, I better get going," Leo said as he got up slowly so Vixen could readjust her weight. "I'd stay, but you know how Chatot can get."

Vixen laughed. "I've been in this guild for as long as you have, I know. Now get going!"

"Alright, alright. But you'll stay here, right?" Leo asked, his voice suddenly concerned.

"You know, I think maybe I'll go on a mission or two at Beach Cave…" Vixen trailed off, seeing Leo's unentertained face. "But don't worry, I'd be back before you even know it!" she added hurriedly.

"That's not funny, Vixen," Leo said seriously.

Carefully, the nine-tailed fox stood and began walking over to the exit, where Leo stood.

"Aw, you're no fun in the morning," she pouted, but the lion looked at her with the same serious expression. Snuggling up against his mane like she had done the day before, she murmured, "I'll stay here, I promise." Leo nuzzled her back briefly, in a rare show of affection, before using his snout to push her back towards the beds.

"I'll be back soon," he said shortly, and then he was out of sight.

Vixen sat down with a sigh and wondered how long she'd have to wait before she could safely leave to get berries and apples out of storage. While she was feeling better, she knew she wasn't 100% recovered, but even though Leo knew that, if she had said it out loud, he would have put her on house arrest for a week. She chuckled out loud at the thought of their dysfunctional relationship.

There was still an unshakeable tingling in her paws and her flame source still didn't feel as warm as normal. Maybe a walk would help.

* * *

"Hello, dear! How can I help you?" Kangaskhan asked kindly.

"I'd like to withdraw one apple and one Oran berry please," Vixen responded.

"Sure, no problem. Just let me go grab those things for you," the storage keeper said her usual line before stomping into the large room behind her where the items were kept.

Vixen waited patiently as Kangaskhan's retreated form disappeared among the clutter and looked around the western area of the Treasure Town market curiously, when she saw something that had been on her mind recently.

"Here you go, sweetie!" Kangaskhan called cheerfully, holding the requested items, but Ninetales was no longer anywhere to be found.

It was Liepard's job today to restock her team's supplies for future missions. She recognized the gleaming coat of golden fur standing at Kangaskhan Storage as soon as she crossed the bridge and her sour mood worsened as the proximity between them decreased.

Buying several Oran berries, Apples, and Max Elixirs from Kecleon Market, Liepard glanced over at Vixen once more before turning to leave. The Ninetales had been looking in her direction as well apparently and the two made eye contact. Unable to break from the hypnotizing red gaze, Liepard remained rooted to the spot as her rival approached.

"Greetings, Vixen," Liepard said stiffly, lowering her head slightly as a mandatory sign of respect to her superior.

"Good day to you, Liepard," the responding calm voice said, while Liepard realized that this was the first time she had heard Vixen speak. While Liepard prepared herself to shoot the fox her most arrogant look before turning tail, Vixen continued.

"Listen, we haven't been able to talk before this and that's partially my own fault so I apologize. And I hate to start off our acquaintanceship on the wrong foot but," she took a deep breath. "I know that you don't like me," Liepard's lip twitched. "And I can guess why." Emerald eyes narrowed. "But I want you to know that _nothing_ is coming to come between me and Leo's friendship." The Ninetales across from her was smiling and her voice maintained the same tone, but Liepard recognized that the look in her red eyes had changed – changed to one that dared Liepard to challenge her.

 _Oh, she dared._

"And what if I disagree?" Liepard taunted, rising up on her haunches so that the two stood eye to eye. "What if I say we have a battle _right now_ to decide once and for all who's best for Leo?"

As if expecting this response, Vixen's eyes glinted dangerously. "Although I hate to fight with a guild mate, I'm never one to turn down a battle."

Liepard leaned back to pounce, giddy at the chance she had been given, but was interrupted.

"Why don't we go somewhere more private?" Vixen suggested.

* * *

The Krabby had receded to their coves as the two creatures faced off on the beach sand, readying themselves for the battle at hand.

Vixen had heard of Liepard's endurance and strength on the battlefield and knew that this would be no ordinary bout. Every move of hers would have to be calculated and she would also have to fight through the heavy feeling that lingered throughout her body. But there was no doubt in her mind, she would protect what was important to her.

* * *

Leo trotted back through Treasure Town towards Sharpedo Bluff, his business at the guild having taken longer than expected. Reaching the cliff, he pushed the bush to the side and climbed down the stairs, anxious to see his partner once again, but was shocked to find their alcove empty. He sniffed around briefly, trying to find any hint of where Vixen could be, but finding nothing out of the ordinary, Leo turned and dashed back up the stairs frantically. _Maybe one of the shopkeepers had seen her!_

"Kangaskhan, have you seen Vixen?" he asked hurriedly to the surprised storage keeper.

"Y-yes, she was here a short while ago. She asked me to withdraw a few items, but when I came back she had disappeared!"

"Okay, thanks!" Leo said before running off again.

"Kecleon, have you seen Vixen?" he asked the matching shopkeepers.

"Yes, yes, not too long ago!" the green one answered.

"She was with Liepard," the purple one added.

"They were speaking in riddles."

"And then they left together."

Leo opened his mouth to ask where they had gone when suddenly, a small brown body collided into the lion's striped front legs.

"Bidoof!" Leo exclaimed in surprise at the small, shaking creature. "What's wrong?"

"O-oh it's t-t-terrible!" Bidoof stuttered, while Leo listened carefully, trying to make out the words. "At the beach! There's a fight! Between Vixen and Liepard!" he finally managed to utter out.

"What?!" Leo cried out in shock. "We have to go then, let's hurry!" Leo picked up his small, out-of-breath friend with his snout, tossing him onto his back, before running down the dirt road towards the beach.

The two felines were both winded and had landed mild hits on one another. How long they had been battling for neither of them knew, but neither was finished.

"You don't deserve him," Liepard hissed, as they circled each other looking for an opening to strike.

"You don't even know him," Vixen spat. This comment seemed to enrage the spotted cat as she immediately lunged, preparing to attack with Shadow Claw. In self-defence, Vixen launched a powerful flamethrower from her mouth, which was a direct hit on Liepard who was in mid-air, but did nothing to stop her oncoming attack, as she burst through the flames and swiped – her attack guaranteed to hit.

The two jumped apart from each other, the results of their previous attacks clearly showing on their body.

Liepard fired a Gunk Shot, which Vixen had to jump quickly to dodge. A sudden chill ran up the hind leg she landed on, however, and as she began falling, Liepard was already leaping towards her, the oncoming Night Slash attack evident. The dark-type attack made a direct hit and Vixen fell to the ground, Liepard pinning her down with claws unsheathed and bared fangs.

Ninetales struggle was futile as Liepard looked down at her with an evil grin.

"Not so powerful now, are we, princess?"

Vixen narrowed her eyes. _After everything she had given up, after everything she had sacrificed, after everything the whole guild had been through, she couldn't lose here._ She opened her mouth and released a Dark Pulse, which struck Liepard in the face with a force that sent her flying off.

They sat on opposite ends of the battlefield once again, both clearly exhausted, and knew that they had to put their all into their final attacks. Liepard opened her mouth to begin powering her most potent weapon: Hyper Beam, while Vixen did the same with her Flamethrower. Just as they were about to launch their attacks, however, a flash of blinding light ran across the beach before stopping in between them.

When their vision had refocused, they could see Leo standing in between them, surrounded by a veil of electricity that sparked as a warning to them both. He didn't look happy.

Vixen couldn't help but roll her eyes. Thanks to his arrival, this battle was over. She turned around, walking away, when she noticed the guild members standing along the grassy ledge that lined the sandy beach. She nodded to Wigglytuff before walking in between everyone down the path that led back to town.

Liepard watched as Vixen disappeared into the trees before turning to Leo, who remained in the same spot, motionless.

"Leo –" she began.

"What were you two thinking?" he interrupted, sounding so angry that Liepard had to recoil. "You both could have been seriously hurt! Or now, Vixen's injuries may never heal! What would we do then, huh?" The electrical barrier around him had faded, but his golden eyes seemed to glow with an intense ferocity. "If you wanted to have a practice match that badly, you should've asked me," he scolded.

Leo had misconstrued the purpose of their battle but Liepard couldn't bring herself to correct him as she lowered her head in submission. "Yes, I'm sorry," she said quietly.

She heard him sigh and could see his large paws stamping frustatedly into the sand.

When he spoke a moment later, the anger from his voice was gone, causing Liepard to look up hopefully. "Go get your wounds taken care of, your friends are waiting." His voice was kind, but he was looking the direction Vixen had gone in. When she nodded, even though she knew he didn't see because his mind was elsewhere, Leo ran off as well.

The guild members began to file back up the hill one by one, leaving Liepard sitting in the sand alone. Her friends approached her, sitting by her side as they stared out into the ocean together in silence.

Liepard sighed, breaking the silence, before saying, "he was never mine to begin with, I know."

Persian offered her a gentle smile, while Pyroar stood, shaking the sand from her rump.

"C'mon, let's go home."

Liepard nodded, and stood as well, taking one last look at the setting sun before running up the beach to catch up with her friends.

* * *

A rekindled fire lay burning next to their bedside when Leo walked in. Based on the pile of stems beside it, Vixen had already eaten, and based on her steady breathing, she was already asleep. Leo couldn't help but chuckle at his worry of whether or not she could take care of herself. After the number of times she had saved him from his own fears in the past, it shouldn't have been a question. Lying down against her, as they had slept the night before, Leo released a final sigh and with it, all of his concerns.

Looking at her peaceful face while she slept, Leo couldn't help but whisper, "I love you," before placing his head next to hers and closing his eyes as sleep overcame him. He didn't see his companion peek open one eye and smile to herself while she whispered, "I love you too," before finally falling asleep.


End file.
